Thursday, July 23, 2009

Girl struck by falling tortoise: Suffers Amnesia!

A Chinese girl lost her memory and had to be taken to hospital after she was hit on the head by a pregnant tortoise (Image © AP Photo/Ventura County Police Department)

A Chinese girl has lost her memory after being struck by a falling pregnant tortoise as she walked with her aunt along a street, (the girl that is, not the tortoise)

Wrong Headgear
Unsuspecting and un-protected, 12-year-old Cheng Cheng was struck by the plummeting creature as she walked with her aunt Ling Lang in Chongqing, central China.

Those grass woven coolie hats, so beloved by the Chinese, are a good protection against the strong sun but they don't stand up well to a head-on collision with a tortoise, turtles or shell encased reptiles of any kind.

Eye-witness
The owner of a nearby grocery store who witnessed the incident said, Cheng was hit by a falling black object (ninja tortoise?) travelling at speed and she fell to the ground unconscious. When he ran over, he realised the object was a tortoise.

The Gravity of it all
A police spokesman said: "Given the force of the blow, this tortoise must have been thrown from a reasonable height. We have questioned 16 flat owners all of whom have denied responsibility."

Shell shocked
After being taken to a local children’s hospital, Cheng was diagnosed with concussion. Zhuo Xuan, the doctor treating Cheng, said "she does not have any memory of what happened to her or anything about her. We believe the amnesia will only be short lived but at the moment she can't remember anything".

Father's outcry
The injured girl's father, Liu Xingbing, said: "I am furious at this irresponsible behaviour. If I do not have a confession from the guilty tortoise thrower I will sue everybody in the building."

Tortoise DOA
Although the tortoise initially survived the fall, it later died from its injuries. It has been frozen and is being examined while police continue to question residents in a nearby apartment building.

Possible Explanations

  • It was a bit depressed, at the thought of being a single mum
  • It was reaching for a bit lettuce when it slipped and fell from a balcony
  • It was sunning itself on the roof when the wind got under it and lifted it into the air
  • It was used by children as an alternative to a discus, frizbee or bommerang
  • It was seeking an evolutionary leap for all tortoises everywhere
  • His mate said 'Trust me, the bungy rope is secure. I tied it myself!'
  • His mate said 'If you fill up on fizzy gassy drinks, you will float harmlessly to the ground'
  • Other....Suggestions please!

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